THEATRE HISTORY RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

THEATRE HISTORY ASSIGNMENT

Below, you will find a list of famous people and time periods in  early Theater History.  You must select ONE and research them.  Once you have conducted your research, you will then write a 2-3 page paper on the subject. Your grade will be based on three components. These are:

1.    Content and Information. Ask yourself, “Did I do enough research to feel like I know what I am talking about on this subject?”  You should feel very comfortable with your topic and able to chat about it if asked.

2.    Format. There are very specific requirements for this paper.  It must be:

·      Typed, double spaced and in 12 point font

·      1” margins all around

·      Times and Courier are the only fonts accepted.

·      There must be at least one primary source/book as a reference. All sources must be cited. Plagiarism is academic dishonesty and is punishable by failure for the class for the quarter. If you are unsure as to whether or not you are plagiarizing, please feel free to email me a sample of your paper 259drama@gmail.com and I will let you know.

·      Internet sources are accepted, but they must also be cited. For information on how to cite a source, click here.

·      A bibliography or resource list must also be included. If you don't know how to write one, you can find instructions by clicking here. 

3.    Presentation. These papers will be shared with the class. Be aware of your audience when writing and present the material in a way that will hold their interest. Did you write this in a way that was both interesting and informative?  Would this be something that your classmates would enjoy reading? Be creative, but still stick to the subject you researched and be prepared to answer questions on your topic.
There are several websites that offer suggestions about how to present papers in new and creative ways. Click here, or here, or here for some suggestions. Make sure that you do your best NOT to be boring. 

TOPICS TO CHOOSE FROM

·      Anton Chekov: Initially a medical student who wrote short stories to pay for his studies, Anton Chekov had matured by the turn of the century into Russia’s greatest dramatist.[1]

·      Aristophanes: the greatest representative of ancient Greek comedy and the one whose works have been preserved in greatest quantity. [2]

·      August Strindberg: Swedish novelist & playwright.

·      Bunraku Theatre: a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in 1684.

·      Chinese Opera: a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century.

·      Christopher Marlowe: an English playwright, dramatist, and poet of the Elizabethan era. Also a great influencer of Shakespeare’s works.

·      Commedia dell’arte: A type of Italian improvisational comedy that originated in the 16th and 17th centuries that uses stock characters in masks and costumes.

·      Constantin Stanislavski: A Russian actor and theater director known as the father of Method Acting.

·      Euripides: An Athenian tragic playwright. One of the greatest playwrights of Ancient Greece.

·      George Bernard Shaw: Irish playwright & journalist.

·      Henrik Ibsen: 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of realism."

·      Kabuki Theatre: a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers

·      Melodrama: A sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events/ a lot of danger in order to appeal to the emotions. A drama, such as a play, film, or television program, characterized by exaggerated emotions, stereotypical characters, and interpersonal conflicts.[3]

·      Moliere: French playwright and actor considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature.

·      Moscow Art Theatre: A theater venue for naturalistic theater. Also where most of Constantin Stanislavski’s plays were performed

·      Noh Drama: a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century

·      Opera: an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting.[4]

·      Origin of Greek Theatre/Greek Theatre: The Greek philosopher Aristotle first observed what we would call theater during the annual festivals to honor Dionysus.

·      Origin of Medieval Theatre/Types of Medieval Drama:  Medieval theater grew out of religious ritual, much like ancient Greek theater.

·      Origin of Roman Theatre/Roman Theatre: Based on Greek theater, Roman theater differed because it was used largely for entertainment.

·      Sarah Bernhardt: A beautiful French actress known for her gorgeous voice as much as her flamboyant style.

·      Shakespeare: Often referred to as the greatest playwright in the English language.

·      Sophocles: One of three tragic Greek playwrights whose works have survived to present day.

By the time we return from

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[1]  Ommanney, Katharine Anne. & Schanker,Harry H.  The Stage & The School. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, March 24, 1998.

[2] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/34467/Aristophanes

[3] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/melodrama

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera

RADIO THEATER - Old Time Radio Commercials

VOCABULARY
These are some of the words you need to know for our Radio Theater Unit.

Jingle
Advertisement
Ad
Advertise
Commercial
Old Time Radio (OTR)
Radio Theater
Radio Play
Audio
Sound Clip
Foley Operator
Sound Design
Sound Effects
Character
Vocal Characterization

Click here , here, or here for a link to Old Time Radio Commercials.
What do you notice about how they use their voices? How is music used? Did you notice any interesting uses of sound effects?

Click here for an Old Time Radio Timeline.

RADIO THEATER-The Yellow Snow Radio Show

Many years ago, one of my classes wanted to perform something for the holidays. We decided to do our version of the Charlie Brown Christmas which is the first prime-time animated TV special based upon the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. 

If you've never seen the Charlie Brown Christmas, click here or here if you are trying to view it on one of the school's computers. Watching it is one of my favorite holiday traditions. It has some of the most memorable holiday music of any holiday show I've ever seen. If  the link doesn't work for you, and you would like to listen to the music, you can borrow the CDs from the box office or listen on the Sound Computer in the auditorium.

RADIO THEATER - Sorry, Wrong Number Old Telephone Images

In "Sorry, Wrong Number," the main character Mrs. Stevenson has several problems with getting her call connected.  Below, you will find images of telephone operators from around the time that the radio play takes place.

RADIO THEATER - SOUND DESIGN

SOUND EFFECTS

Sound Effects help tell the story in audio. They tell you where or when the story takes place. They tell you about the action, how events are unfolding. The Old Time Radio guys called themselves Sound Effects Artists. They would not like to be called "Foley" performers. Jack Foley is known for organizing and standardizing sound effects for films, but the name of Foley effects has blurred over into audio as well.
To read the rest of this article and to discover some amazing sites about sound effects, click here.

RADIO THEATER- Scripts to Peruse

By now you know that you will be working in groups to perform an Old Time Radio Theater Play.  Listed below are six scripts for you to peruse. Please pick three that you would be interested in performing and bring this list to class with you.  If none of these are your cup of tea, please go to the Generic Radio Workshop's Script Library and pick one that does interest you.  Remember, this is a group project. If you are selecting a script that is not on the list below, make sure you pick one that your classmates would want to work on and that would also be interesting to your audience.
If you would like to read the script, simply click on the title and the link will take you to the script. ENJOY!

RADIO THEATER- Old Time Radio Resources

Below, you will find a list of links to help you with your study of Radio Theater.

AUDIO
Free Old Time Radio Shows (for Downloading)
The Generic Radio Workshop's Vintage Radio Script Library

RADIO THEATER - SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

Synopsis:

Leona Stevenson is a spoiled, bedridden woman. One day, while listening to what seems to be a crossed telephone connection, she hears two men planning a woman's murder. The call cuts off without Leona learning very much other than it is scheduled for 11:15, when a passing train will hide any sounds. She calls the telephone company and the police, but with few concrete details, they can do nothing. Complicating matters, her husband Elbert is overdue and their servants have the night off, leaving her all alone in a New York City suite.

RADIO THEATER UNIT OUTCOMES

This lesson unit will involve students learning how to become different characters on stage using only their voices. 

 Students will be able to.....

... learn how to use their voices for performance. … discover how sound can enhance a performance. … find new ways to create a character using only their voice. … find new and unusual uses for their voices. … compare and contrast the major differences between radio theater and television as entertainment media. …. discuss what radio drama was and what its role was in the 1930s-1940s. …. identify how radio plays affected families in the 1930s-1940s. … recognize the importance of sound effects in radio plays. … infer how radio plays stimulate imagination in listeners. … examine how radio plays relate to advertising. … describe how they would perform the main character in “Sorry, Wrong Number.” …create an old time radio advertisement. …express how to use their voice and body to create sound that can enhance a scene.

RADIO THEATER- Vocal Warm Ups

VOCAL WARMUPS & ACTIVITIES

In this section of the workbook, we will discuss how to prepare your voice for the stage.  As we discussed in the Imagination Worksheet your voice is one of your most important tools as an actor. Your voice can help you to create and define characters, create sound effects, and establish mood and attitude for the story you are presenting.  In order to use your voice effectively and without hurting it, it is important to learn how to warm it up and prepare it for performing.

RADIO THEATER/DRAMA HISTORY

RADIO THEATER

Radio theater/ radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, (radio theater) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story. “It is auditory in the physical dimension but equally powerful as a visual force in the psychological dimension. Radio drama achieved widespread popularity within a decade of its initial development in the 1920s. By the 1940s, it was a leading international popular entertainment. With the advent of television in the 1950s, however, radio drama lost some of its popularity, and in some countries, has never regained large audiences.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES

The Name Game

Today for our warm up, we will participate in a basic Dramatic Activity called The Name Game.  There are many different versions of the Name Game.  In this one, everyone must sit or stand in a circle. 

Atencion, Posicion, Freeze

There are three very important words for you to learn before you proceed in Drama class. 

These words are:

 FREEZE

ATENCION

POSICION.

When you hear FREEZE, your job is to stop what you are doing immediately, and FREEZE in whatever position you are in. We will learn more about why FREEZE is important in class.

ATENCION is how we come together and pay attention to what each other may or may not be saying.  When you hear ATENCION, you stop what you are doing, repeat it back, and salute Ms Cooper. This lets us know that everyone is paying attention and ready to hear whatever is being said.

POSICION is how we say “at ease.” Once Ms Cooper knows that you are listening, and focused on the next step of directions or instructions, she will say POSICION and you may sit or take notes.

STAGE DIRECTIONS

STAGE DIRECTIONS

In theater, directions are always given from the actor’s point of view on stage facing the audience.  Here you will find a list of all the directions and a diagram of the stage explaining each one.

STAGE TYPES

A physical stage is not needed for every performance.  All that anyone needs to for a performance is someone performing, and someone watching.  You can make theatre anywhere!  When you begin to work with your stories in this class, it is important to know and understand the types of stages so that you can make decisions about where you want to put the audience. Proscenium, thrust and arena stages refer to types of stages and seating arrangements applicable to venues primarily designed for dance, theatre and opera. 

Proscenium Stage:

  

Thrust, 3/4, or Elizabethan Stage:

Arena Stage, Theater-in-the-Round:

DRAMA PERSONAL INVENTORY

What am I bringing to class?

Since all relationships are give and take, you will probably get more from this class by thinking about the things that you are bringing to the class.  Everyone comes to this class with different experiences and different hopes so we will all have a great deal to share with one another.  Take a look at the questions below, and answer them in your journal to the best of your ability.  You may be surprised at how much you know about Drama!

1.    What previous study of drama have you had?

2.   What do you think of when you hear the words drama, theater, and storytelling?

3.   What plays and musicals have you seen?

4.   Which of those were professional musicals?

5.   Have you ever been part of a production staff?  If so, what were your responsibilities?

6.   Have you ever performed onstage? Is so, what experience have you had?

7.   What do you know about stages or theater traditions?

8.   What theater vocabulary are you familiar with?

9.   Have you read any plays? If so, what plays and what did you think of them?

10.                 What personal goals do you have for studying drama?

11.What do you hope to learn from this class that will help you grow as a drama student, performer, and a person?

DRAMA CLASS GUIDELINES

Drama Class Guidelines

I prefer not to use the word “rules” when discussing the class because I feel that it makes students feel boxed in and unable to be creative.  I have also found that when one person makes the “rules” and passes them down to a group of people, they don’t go over as well as if the group comes up with them on their own. As a result, we will be creating a list of guidelines together.

1. Be Respectful. Everyone is going to make a fool of themselves in this class.  If we are not respectful of each other and not considerate of how everyone feels, no one will be comfortable sharing.  We don’t have to like each other, but we will be respectful.
2. Dress Appropriately.  This class requires movement.  Overly tight or low rise pants and shirts, oversized pants, shirts, and sweatshirts can impede your movement and cause you to possibly hurt or expose yourself.  You should wear loose fitting clothes that you can move in without injury or embarrassment. 
3. Keep ALL Body Parts & Fluids to Yourself. I used to tell people not to hit, and then I had an incident with a kicker. Then I decided to tell kids to keep hands and feet to themselves and I had a student who scratched and bit others. Then I decided to say 'keep all body parts to yourself,' and then a student spit on another student. YUCK! For the sake of safety, please, let's try to follow this guideline.
4. 
   

5. _________________________________________________________________

6. _________________________________________________________________

7. _________________________________________________________________

8. _________________________________________________________________

9. _________________________________________________________________

If I do not follow the class guidelines, I understand that the following will occur.

1^st Offense:            Warning from Ms. Cooper.

2^nd Offense:            Lunch Detention with Ms. Cooper.

3^rd Offense:            Phone Call Home & After School Detention with School Deans.

Anything that occurs past the 3^rd Offense will require a parental conference with Ms. Cooper.

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED IN CLASS?

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?????

This is the most popular question I get asked at the beginning of each school year.  Over the years, I have tried different methods of presenting the list of what students need in many different ways, but somehow, it always gets messed up. Here is another try: